The calabash, known scientifically as Lagenaria siceraria, is a vine cultivated for its fruit, which has a rich history of use across various cultures. In South Africa, the calabash holds particular significance, serving practical, culinary, and cultural purposes. This article explores the diverse applications of the calabash in South Africa, highlighting its importance in daily life and traditions.
There is more than one meaning behind the word “calabash”. First and foremost, the word describes a group of tropical climbing plants, from the cucurbit family, which originally came from Africa. Today, they are found on practically every continent.
The calabash tree, (Crescentia cujete), is a tree of the family Bignoniaceae that grows in parts of Africa, Central and South America, the West Indies, and extreme southern Florida. It is often grown as an ornamental; however, it is also used in traditional systems of medicine. The tree produces large spherical fruits, up to 50 cm (20 inches) in diameter, the hard shells of which are useful as bowls, cups, and other containers when hollowed out.
The calabash tree grows between 6 and 12 metres (20 and 40 feet) tall. The branches are long and spread outward horizontally with almost no secondary branching. The evergreen leaves are about 5-15 cm (2-6 inches) long, are lance-shaped, and taper at the base. The flowers have five petals fused in a funnel shape; they are light green in colour with purple streaks. The fruit’s shell encloses a whitish pulp and thin dark brown seeds.
Calabash is a climbing plant of the Cucurbitaceae family, found in the tropical sub-equatorial zone. Some of its varieties are suitable for consumption. Since ancient times, it has been a valuable raw material for an entirely different reason. The ripe fruit of the plant is characterised by a hard and robust shell.
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Under natural conditions, the calabash can reach up to 9 metres in height. The green vines of the plant surround trees, rocks or buildings. It has large, round leaves with finely serrated edges, the surface of which is covered with fine fuzz. They reach up to 40 cm in width. Calabash bears beautiful white flowers in season.
In time, juicy green, “hairy” fruits, similar in shape to pears, are born. The young fruits are edible and resemble zucchinis in taste. They are often used in cooking and are very popular especially in Asia, including Indian, Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisine. They are a common ingredient in many dishes there. The calabash ripens quickly.
The fruit increases in volume intensively and the characteristic green colour fades over time. As they ripen, they lose their moss, harden and take on a yellowish brown colour. The calabash fruit can reach up to 80 cm in length and 20 cm in width. When dried, the outside of the fruit becomes a thicker, hard shell, while the inside of the fruit remains hollow. It is this hard, thick shell that has led the calabash to find many uses, not only in culinary applications.
The method of processing the shell has hardly changed over the centuries. The flesh is removed and the whole is dried and preserved with fat. The fruit of the calabash most likely arrived in South America drifting across the ocean.
The gourd was one of the world's first cultivated plants grown not primarily for food, but for use as containers. The bottle gourd may have been carried from Asia to Africa, Europe, and the Americas in the course of human migration, or by seeds floating across the oceans inside the gourd.
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The bottle gourd is a commonly cultivated plant in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, and was eventually domesticated in southern Africa. Stands of L. siceraria, which may be source plants and not merely domesticated stands, were reported in Zimbabwe in 2004. This apparent wild plant produces thinner-walled fruit that, when dried, would not endure the rigors of use on long journeys as a water container.
Gourds were cultivated in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas for thousands of years before Columbus' arrival to the Americas.
Bottle gourds are grown by direct sowing of seeds or transplanting 15- to 20-day-old seedlings. The plant prefers well-drained, moist, organic rich soil. It requires plenty of moisture in the growing season and a warm, sunny position, sheltered from the wind. It can be cultivated in small places such as in a pot, and allowed to spread on a trellis or roof. In rural areas, many houses with thatched roofs are covered with the gourd vines.
Calabash gourd (Lagenaria siceraria)
Bottle gourds grow very rapidly and their stems can reach a length of 9 m in the summer, so they need a solid support along the stem if they are to climb a pole or trellis. If planted under a tall tree, the vine may grow up to the top of the tree. To obtain more fruit, farmers sometimes cut off the tip of the vine when it has grown to 2 metres in length. The plant produces night blooming white flowers.
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The male flowers have long peduncles and the females have short ones with an ovary in the shape of the fruit. Sometimes the female flowers drop off without growing into a gourd due to the failure of pollination if there is no night pollinator (probably a kind of moth) in the garden. Hand pollination can be used to solve the problem. First crop is ready for harvest within two months; first flowers open in about 45 days from sowing.
South Africa's FNB Stadium, which hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup, is known as The Calabash as its shape takes inspiration from the calabash. Calabash also has a large cultural significance.
Traditional Uses in South Africa
In South Africa, the calabash is commonly used as a drinking vessel and a vessel for carrying food by communities, such as the Bapedi and AmaZulu. This reflects the plant’s historical importance as a versatile container before the introduction of modern materials.
Utensils and Containers: In rural Southern Africa, calabashes (dried and hollowed out Bottle Gourds) are used for typical utensils such as ladles, bowls, cups, bottles and containers to keep liquids. It can also be used for carrying water, or can be made for carrying items, such as maize, etc.
Musical Instruments: The woody fruit of the calabash is sometimes used to make a part of the berimbau, an instrument that is integral to the Brazilian martial art - capoeira. Filled with small stones or seeds, calabashes work well as rattles or maracas. These typical Latin American rattles are among the flagship instruments in Colombian and Cuban music.
Berimbau, a musical instrument that uses calabash as a resonator
Pipes: The woody fruit was also used to make pipes, popular in South Africa.
Culinary Uses: The young shoots, tendrils and leaves can be eaten as greens. In Southern Africa the leaves are eaten as a vegetable, added fresh to maize porridge, mixed with other plants made into a relish or dried for later use. The immature fruits are added to stews, cakes, curries and fish dishes. To use culinary, choose a young, firm calabash for best results. Peel, discard harder portions of the skin and scoop out and discard seeds before cooking.
Other Uses
Beyond its traditional uses in South Africa, the calabash has a wide range of applications across the globe:
Medicine: In traditional medicine, the fruit, leaves and seeds were used as a laxative, against worms or as a remedy to combat migraine.
Art: Finally, perhaps a less practical but very important use for folk culture: art.
Bird Feeders and Nest Boxes: Calabash can be used as bird feeders and nest boxes.
Other African countries: Erbore children of Ethiopia wear hats made from the calabash to protect them from the sun.
Cleaning Rice: Hollowed-out and dried calabashes are a very typical utensil in households across West Africa. They are used to clean rice, carry water, and as food containers.
Calabash carving
Palm Wine: Smaller sizes are used as bowls to drink palm wine.
Nutritional and Medicinal Benefits
The bottle gourd is low in fat and cholesterol yet high in dietary fiber. It contains 96% water and per 100g it contains around 12 calories. It is rich in iron and has vitamins C and B complex. Bottle gourd contains sodium of 1.8mg per 100g and 87 mg of potassium - making it a suitable vegetable for hypertensive patients. It is easily digestible - excellent for light, low-calorie diets, small children, people with digestive problems, diabetics and convalescents.
Cooked bottle gourd is cooling, calming, anti-bilious and diuretic. It helps treating urinary disorders - a glass of fresh bottle gourd juice mixed with lime juice combats the burning sensation caused by the high acidity of urine. A glass of Bottle gourd juice with a little salt added, is an excellent remedy for excessive thirst caused by diarrhea, over consumption of fatty or fried foods and diabetes. Juice from the Bottle gourd's leaves is good for jaundice.
The bottle gourd is a hydrating and low-calorie vegetable that makes a healthy addition to a balanced diet. With 95% water and just 15 kcal per 100g, it’s ideal for light meals, soups, and stews. Beyond its culinary value, calabash offers a range of gentle health benefits, especially when harvested young and consumed in cooked form. Its fiber content aids regular bowel movements and supports gut health.
Cultivation
Calabash (Lagenaria siceraria) thrives in tropical and subtropical regions, loving full sun, warm temperatures, and humidity. These vigorous vines do best in well-drained, fertile soil that’s rich in organic matter. Light, sandy, or loamy soils are best. Aim for a pH between 6.0 and 7.5. Calabash loves moisture during the growing season. Water deeply and consistently, especially during flowering and fruit development. These vines grow fast-up to 30 feet (9 m)!-and they need support. Train them up a sturdy trellis, arbor, or even a tree.
To encourage branching and fruiting, pinch off the growing tip once the main vine reaches 6-8 feet (1.8-2.4 m). Calabash plants produce separate male and female flowers. The white blossoms open at night, often pollinated by moths.
Harvesting
For Eating: Harvest when young and tender, about 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) long.
For Crafting: Leave fruits on the vine until the skin hardens and they turn yellowish.
Calabash is usually propagated by seed. Choose a fully mature, dried gourd from the previous season. Crack it open and collect the seeds from inside. Before planting, soak seeds in warm water for 24 hours. If you’re in a cooler climate, start seeds indoors 3-4 weeks before your last frost. Use peat pots or seed trays with well-draining potting mix. In warmer climates, sow seeds directly into the garden once the soil has warmed to at least 70°F (21°C). Seeds typically sprout in 7-14 days.
Potential Problems
- Aphids: These tiny sap-suckers cluster on new growth, causing curled leaves and stunted vines.
- Squash Bugs: These pests pierce and suck juices from leaves, causing them to wilt and dry out.
- Downy Mildew: Yellowish patches on the upper leaf surface and grayish mold on the underside.
- Anthracnose: Dark, sunken lesions on leaves and fruit.
- Bacterial Leaf Spot: Appears as small, dark water-soaked spots on leaves that may merge into larger blotches.
- Sooty Mold: Grows on sticky honeydew from pests like aphids and whiteflies.
Calabash vs. Calabash Tree
The calabash tree (Crescentia cujete) is a tropical tree from the Bignoniaceae family that produces large, round, hard-shelled fruits. The calabash gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) is a fast-growing vine in the squash family (Cucurbitaceae) that produces elongated, bottle-shaped gourds. Although both are called “calabash” and their fruits are used similarly for utensils and crafts, they are botanically unrelated and belong to different plant families.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the calabash tree grow?
The calabash tree is native to Central and South America, the Caribbean, parts of Africa, and southern Florida. It thrives in tropical climates, growing best in USDA hardiness zones 10-12, and prefers warm, humid environments with plenty of sunlight.
What are calabash fruits used for?
Once dried, the hard-shelled fruit of the calabash tree is used to make utensils such as bowls, cups, ladles, and musical instruments like maracas and drums. The durable shell is ideal for traditional crafts and household tools in many cultures around the world.
Can you eat calabash fruit?
The fruit of the calabash tree is generally not eaten due to its bitter taste and potential toxicity, though it is sometimes used in traditional medicine. In contrast, the young fruit of the calabash gourd vine (Lagenaria siceraria) is widely consumed as a vegetable in many cuisines.
How do you care for a calabash tree?
Plant the calabash tree in a sunny or partially shaded location with well-drained soil. Water moderately, allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings. Prune every year or two to maintain shape and remove dead wood. The tree is salt-tolerant and best suited to tropical or subtropical climates.
How do you clean and prepare a calabash gourd for use?
To clean and harden a dried calabash gourd, pour heated sand or gravel inside and shake vigorously to remove the inner pulp and seeds. This prepares the shell for use as a bowl, container, or musical instrument. The outer surface can also be cleaned and polished for decorative purposes.
When does the calabash tree flower and fruit?
In warm climates, calabash trees can flower and bear fruit year-round. Flowering typically begins in spring (around April), and fruits usually ripen by late summer or early fall (August to September).
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